I'm now safely in Udaipur. It was very difficult saying goodbye to my host family. But I know that this is the right place for me. I love Jagran (the NGO where I'm working.) The people are relaxed, friendly, and open to letting me research what I want. The center is outside of the city, but is only about a 15-20 minute autorickshaw-bus ride away. The autorickshaw-bus is amazing. It is a slightly larger version of the autorickshaw. But it will take you throughout Udaipur on a couple of routes and usually costs about 5 rupees. Last night we ended up in the same bus as 13 other people. "We" is me and the two other MSIDers here (Jen and Amy Kae.) To give you an idea how packed in we were, a bus should only seat about 7 people. On the way back we ended up in the same bus as this hilarious old lady who kept on joking with us in Hindi. She looked like she sold produce in town (for the last 90 years.)
People are so much friendlier and calmer in Udaipur. Maybe this is because the city is a lot smaller and greener than Jaipur. It is surrounded by rolling hills (the Aravalli,) which I definitely would like to trek through a bit. This morning I went for a run through the farmland around Jagran and did yoga on our roof for an hour before having rice and chai for breakfast. I then talked about my research project with Ganesh and Brinda (my bosses.) They basically think that I can do a huge case study of a dairy co-op that Jagran started in a little town 47 km (about 30 miles) outside of Udaipur. I'll be living there soon, but for now I'm doing background research on milk production and livestock issues in Rajasthan. I want my research to focus on traditional (and cheap) methods of keeping cattle healthy and productive. But I have very little idea of what will actually happen.
When I am in Vali (the village) I won't have Internet. But I'll be there for about a week before I take off for Diwali and go to Jaipur. After Jaipur I'm going to try to make it up north to Dharmsala where I can fully indulge my not-too-hidden-inner-hippie while also doing my Buddhist mother proud. (Dharmsala is the center of the Tibetan community in exile.)
Overall, I am extremely happy here. There is independence, good food, fun roommates, and an NGO of sweet, nonsketchy men who clearly are a little bashful about talking to the three American interns. Actually, the ones that know English are more bashful than the ones who don't.
So long for now,
Erica
Friday, October 26, 2007
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Oh deary me...
This will be a quick post. Tomorrow I leave for Udaipur. I am very excited to be in a new place, but I'm also very sad to be leaving my host family. Lately, I've been spending a lot of time with them and it is making me realize that I did not come to India to see old buildings--although they are beautiful and plentiful. I'm really a people and animals person, not a place person. I hope that Udaipur will have as many wonderful people as Jaipur.
I'm very excited about the group of people travelling with me. I've already made hiking plans with a few other students set up at a nearby NGO. Now, I just need to get better Hindi and I'm set. This past weekend was very confusing and wonderful at the same time. I went to the Old City again, a movie (which was everything you could want from a drama plus dancing and singing,) got a massage, and went to a festival where huge effigies of the demon Ravan are burned. Crackers (fireworks) and Catherine Wheels were also set off ridiculously close to the crowd (some of my friends encountered sparks.)
Problems started when the crowd got bigger. Emily and I were very excited that our Mummiji allowed us to bring our sister Chetna to the festival. But it quickly became apparent that the crowd was mostly younger men, who began to get way too close to Emily and I. Both of us had to do a lot of slapping, punching, scratching, yelling, and everything else that Chetna probably never saw before. She asked me later if a man had touched my hand when I elbowed him. I did not have it in me to tell her that he was reaching for my chest. What is actually uplifting about the experience is that a lot of my friends went to the festival, and all the girls experienced the same thing. BUT every girl also felt confident defending herself. I feel like that is one of the most important lessons that we've learned. Once you bring attention to someone's misconduct, people are mortified. Once, my friend got her butt grabbed. When she turned around about five men started pointing at each other. She just yelled, "Shut up" and slapped all of them.
All in all, it was a good experience. I feel prepared to take on Udaipur, which is supposed to be very relaxed anyway. I will miss my family, the stray dog who I feed crackers (biscuits, not fireworks) to, Gudo our rickshaw walla, my professors, my Mummiji's cooking, and of course the other students. But what I also want is to meet and spend time with more Indians. I have not felt confident to go out and meet people in Jaipur because of situations like the one above. But if I'm in a village working with people's cattle, I feel like I'll be more comfortable being friendly.
I've got to go. I've spent too much time online trying to organize my classes for next term. I'm not sure if I would have attempted Principles of Chemistry before India. But being here has really made me see that I should never complain about having the chance to do something. Even if it's hard, at least I have the choice to do it or not to. Also, I know that I want to go to Vet School. And they kinda have a policy about knowing Chem.
Goodbye for now!
Erica
I'm very excited about the group of people travelling with me. I've already made hiking plans with a few other students set up at a nearby NGO. Now, I just need to get better Hindi and I'm set. This past weekend was very confusing and wonderful at the same time. I went to the Old City again, a movie (which was everything you could want from a drama plus dancing and singing,) got a massage, and went to a festival where huge effigies of the demon Ravan are burned. Crackers (fireworks) and Catherine Wheels were also set off ridiculously close to the crowd (some of my friends encountered sparks.)
Problems started when the crowd got bigger. Emily and I were very excited that our Mummiji allowed us to bring our sister Chetna to the festival. But it quickly became apparent that the crowd was mostly younger men, who began to get way too close to Emily and I. Both of us had to do a lot of slapping, punching, scratching, yelling, and everything else that Chetna probably never saw before. She asked me later if a man had touched my hand when I elbowed him. I did not have it in me to tell her that he was reaching for my chest. What is actually uplifting about the experience is that a lot of my friends went to the festival, and all the girls experienced the same thing. BUT every girl also felt confident defending herself. I feel like that is one of the most important lessons that we've learned. Once you bring attention to someone's misconduct, people are mortified. Once, my friend got her butt grabbed. When she turned around about five men started pointing at each other. She just yelled, "Shut up" and slapped all of them.
All in all, it was a good experience. I feel prepared to take on Udaipur, which is supposed to be very relaxed anyway. I will miss my family, the stray dog who I feed crackers (biscuits, not fireworks) to, Gudo our rickshaw walla, my professors, my Mummiji's cooking, and of course the other students. But what I also want is to meet and spend time with more Indians. I have not felt confident to go out and meet people in Jaipur because of situations like the one above. But if I'm in a village working with people's cattle, I feel like I'll be more comfortable being friendly.
I've got to go. I've spent too much time online trying to organize my classes for next term. I'm not sure if I would have attempted Principles of Chemistry before India. But being here has really made me see that I should never complain about having the chance to do something. Even if it's hard, at least I have the choice to do it or not to. Also, I know that I want to go to Vet School. And they kinda have a policy about knowing Chem.
Goodbye for now!
Erica
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Photos at last!
I've finally been able to get a few albums up. I've put them on facebook, but I know that not everyone is on facebook. And I'd prefer that my parents don't have facebook accounts...so I'm putting up the public links.
http://carleton.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2016617&l=85b36&id=19101860
http://carleton.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2016362&l=9f253&id=19101860
Hope that you enjoy. Today I'm going back to the Old City (as seen in the first album) to do some haggling. If anyone wants something from India put in requests now.
-Erica
http://carleton.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2016617&l=85b36&id=19101860
http://carleton.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2016362&l=9f253&id=19101860
Hope that you enjoy. Today I'm going back to the Old City (as seen in the first album) to do some haggling. If anyone wants something from India put in requests now.
-Erica
End of Classes!
This was my last day of official classes. Now two papers to write and then I'm off to Udaipur. Just writing this because after Wednesday, it will probably be much harder to communicate with people from home. I'm hoping to see a movie, go to a Monkey Temple, and do some shopping this weekend. But other than that I don't have many plans, so if you want to talk to me before I might be out of reach, call within the next 6 days.
Love,
Erica
Love,
Erica
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Could you direct me to the blackmarket sari alley?
Today is the last day of a very relaxing and exciting weekend in Jaipur. Today is a digestive system-mandated rest day, as I had some sneaky Gram Masala for lunch in the Old City yesterday. But don't worry, my host mother has a large pot of dahi (yogurt) and water that she says is the best thing for an upset stomach.
Yesterday was exactly the type of day that I've been hoping to have in Jaipur. I decided not to go to the Himalayas so that I could explore the city better. Yesterday woke up early to go play soccer with some people from the program on the fields at Rajasthan University. We were joined by my friend Lindsay's 11 year old friend, Rahul, who was a ringer, and two Raj U students. It was a lot of fun to run around a field again, and I definitely missed Frisbee a lot.
After soccer we went into the Old City, which is painted pink and surrounded by walls. Inside is a huge market divided into separate bazaars and the City Palace. We went to the City Palace, but did not go in because the charge was Rs. 200 for foreigners. We passed by the metalwork section, which had everything from pots to giant hookahs. Then we somehow ended up in this underground alleyway that has a huge selection of fabric and clothing. My friend Nancy was determined to buy a neon pink sari, so we wandered around that area for awhile. I have never seen so many beautiful colors all together before. Most of the fabrics on display were for weddings, so they were very ornate. After that we went to get some chai, and one Indian man followed us in to ask if Nancy (who is Mexican) was Indian. We said that she was, but that she was married. Being married is always safer than being single.
The day before yesterday I mostly hung out at the Jawahar Kala Kendra. The lowlight was when an Evangelic Christian named DJ tried to convert me. Apparently he and my friend Tim had been discussing me. I'm sure that Tim just innocently told DJ that I am the daughter of a Unitarian Universalist Minister and a Buddhist. In Tim's mind this means that I have interesting dinner table conversations. In DJ's mind it meant that it was high time for me to be saved. DJ told me to accept the word of Jesus into my heart. I told him that I had read the Gospels, had heard the word, but believed that it was only one aspect of the Divine. DJ told me that Jesus said that he was the only way, so it had to be true. This is when I realized that a theological discussion was not an option and asked DJ to respect my beliefs as I was respecting his. He left shortly thereafter.
I don't think that what I said scared DJ away so much as how I said it. I've noticed that in India, women do not often speak directly even if they are speaking with confidence. There is a lot of vocal undulations and hand movements, but little looking someone in the face and plainly stating, "I need this..." or "I don't need this..." Being direct is very effective here. As my Program Director told me, in India you can't do what anyone else wants you to do because you're going to have a lot of "I wishes."
Well I'm out for now. Today I hope to go shopping with my host mother. Most of all, I'd like for her to get out. She comes from a very conservation family and she can't go out without her husband very often. She also has to take a lot of critcism and orders from her mother-in-law. But I'm told, "It sometimes happens in India." The more I live here, the more I understand why someone like Rimaji, who is unmarried and Cambridge-educated, lives by not living by other people's expectations.
-Erica
Yesterday was exactly the type of day that I've been hoping to have in Jaipur. I decided not to go to the Himalayas so that I could explore the city better. Yesterday woke up early to go play soccer with some people from the program on the fields at Rajasthan University. We were joined by my friend Lindsay's 11 year old friend, Rahul, who was a ringer, and two Raj U students. It was a lot of fun to run around a field again, and I definitely missed Frisbee a lot.
After soccer we went into the Old City, which is painted pink and surrounded by walls. Inside is a huge market divided into separate bazaars and the City Palace. We went to the City Palace, but did not go in because the charge was Rs. 200 for foreigners. We passed by the metalwork section, which had everything from pots to giant hookahs. Then we somehow ended up in this underground alleyway that has a huge selection of fabric and clothing. My friend Nancy was determined to buy a neon pink sari, so we wandered around that area for awhile. I have never seen so many beautiful colors all together before. Most of the fabrics on display were for weddings, so they were very ornate. After that we went to get some chai, and one Indian man followed us in to ask if Nancy (who is Mexican) was Indian. We said that she was, but that she was married. Being married is always safer than being single.
The day before yesterday I mostly hung out at the Jawahar Kala Kendra. The lowlight was when an Evangelic Christian named DJ tried to convert me. Apparently he and my friend Tim had been discussing me. I'm sure that Tim just innocently told DJ that I am the daughter of a Unitarian Universalist Minister and a Buddhist. In Tim's mind this means that I have interesting dinner table conversations. In DJ's mind it meant that it was high time for me to be saved. DJ told me to accept the word of Jesus into my heart. I told him that I had read the Gospels, had heard the word, but believed that it was only one aspect of the Divine. DJ told me that Jesus said that he was the only way, so it had to be true. This is when I realized that a theological discussion was not an option and asked DJ to respect my beliefs as I was respecting his. He left shortly thereafter.
I don't think that what I said scared DJ away so much as how I said it. I've noticed that in India, women do not often speak directly even if they are speaking with confidence. There is a lot of vocal undulations and hand movements, but little looking someone in the face and plainly stating, "I need this..." or "I don't need this..." Being direct is very effective here. As my Program Director told me, in India you can't do what anyone else wants you to do because you're going to have a lot of "I wishes."
Well I'm out for now. Today I hope to go shopping with my host mother. Most of all, I'd like for her to get out. She comes from a very conservation family and she can't go out without her husband very often. She also has to take a lot of critcism and orders from her mother-in-law. But I'm told, "It sometimes happens in India." The more I live here, the more I understand why someone like Rimaji, who is unmarried and Cambridge-educated, lives by not living by other people's expectations.
-Erica
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Cooking Lessons and Durgapuja
I think that I've finally found the balance between constantly exploring and boring routine. Really, I don't think Jaipur could ever have a boring routine, just crossing the street is a matter of life and death. But I decided not to travel to the Himalayas this weekend, which I think was a really good choice because I haven't just walked around Jaipur in awhile.
I am definitely going to work in Udaipur with an organization called the JJVS. You can find their website at http://www.jjvs.org/ They do a lot of work with traditional health and rural development, so I'm sure that I'll learn a lot. This weekend I'm going to walk around the Old City, study Hindi at the Jawahar kala kendra (a nice, cultural, cafey, gallery-type building,) and hopefully wander a lot. I'm getting more confident about walking around by myself.
Also, if anyone wants to taste this chai and aloo that I love so much, my Mamaji just taught me how to make them this morning. Apparently salt, coriander, chili, and tumeric are the center of Indian cooking. I can't write much right now because I have to get home to watch the Durgapuja that my family is going to do. These next nine days are reserved to celebrate the goddess Durga. A lot of people fast during this time, and while all the chai and aloo that I've been eating probably means that I need a good fast, I don't think that I'll be participating.
I'll write more when I can think of what to write about. It's getting harder and harder for me to think of experiences to write about because everything is becoming more natural to me. Maybe I'll write a list of things as they come to me. Oh! And Carleton Residential Life has decided to hire me back--I'll be working/living on 3rd Goodhue during the Winter and Spring. It's far away from most everything, except for the Arb, the Rec Center, and Farm House. I guess I'll be running, working out, and eating vegan food a lot. But I've heard that Goodhue floors are always fun, especially in the winter, so I'm really excited to be living there. It's nice to know where I'm living when I get back.
Love,
Erica
I am definitely going to work in Udaipur with an organization called the JJVS. You can find their website at http://www.jjvs.org/ They do a lot of work with traditional health and rural development, so I'm sure that I'll learn a lot. This weekend I'm going to walk around the Old City, study Hindi at the Jawahar kala kendra (a nice, cultural, cafey, gallery-type building,) and hopefully wander a lot. I'm getting more confident about walking around by myself.
Also, if anyone wants to taste this chai and aloo that I love so much, my Mamaji just taught me how to make them this morning. Apparently salt, coriander, chili, and tumeric are the center of Indian cooking. I can't write much right now because I have to get home to watch the Durgapuja that my family is going to do. These next nine days are reserved to celebrate the goddess Durga. A lot of people fast during this time, and while all the chai and aloo that I've been eating probably means that I need a good fast, I don't think that I'll be participating.
I'll write more when I can think of what to write about. It's getting harder and harder for me to think of experiences to write about because everything is becoming more natural to me. Maybe I'll write a list of things as they come to me. Oh! And Carleton Residential Life has decided to hire me back--I'll be working/living on 3rd Goodhue during the Winter and Spring. It's far away from most everything, except for the Arb, the Rec Center, and Farm House. I guess I'll be running, working out, and eating vegan food a lot. But I've heard that Goodhue floors are always fun, especially in the winter, so I'm really excited to be living there. It's nice to know where I'm living when I get back.
Love,
Erica
Monday, October 8, 2007
Internship
Hey!
I just wanted to quickly post about an internship that I'm hoping to get. My Program Director said that I can probably work with an Animal Husbandry program located in Udaipur. I'd be in a rural area, helping local tribes get health care for their livestock. I'd be in the middle of nowhere, with pratically no Hindi, and working with smelly animals. But I'm really excited! The internship is part of a huge NGO that has a lot of branches, and at least two other people from my program would be in nearby areas. I don't know when I find out for sure, but it looks pretty likely that I'll be there.
-Erica
I just wanted to quickly post about an internship that I'm hoping to get. My Program Director said that I can probably work with an Animal Husbandry program located in Udaipur. I'd be in a rural area, helping local tribes get health care for their livestock. I'd be in the middle of nowhere, with pratically no Hindi, and working with smelly animals. But I'm really excited! The internship is part of a huge NGO that has a lot of branches, and at least two other people from my program would be in nearby areas. I don't know when I find out for sure, but it looks pretty likely that I'll be there.
-Erica
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Meri hindi kaahaa hai? (Where is my Hindi?)
Where is all the Hindi that I've been trying to learn going? I'm trying to learn a little bit each day, but it's difficult when the sentence structure and sounds are so different from English. I've basically given up on the script, although we're supposed to be studying it, it just doesn't seem like a good use of my time.
This week has been very relaxed, which I love. After travelling through the desert, it's nice to just read at home and spend time with my host family. Last night, Emily and I made pasta for our family. Apparently my host bhai and bahan (brother and sister) don't like Indian food. They like pasta, pizza, french fries and cake. They have no idea what a fantastic cook their mother is. I want to send them to Carleton to eat in the dining hall for a week. They'd probably be ready for daal (lentils) and chapati.
Yesterday, I went to lunch and a craft fair with some people from the program. I ended up buying two shirts and a photo frame from two Assamese women. They were from an NGO that uses traditional handicrafts to bring income into the area where they live. They were Christian, which surprised me, but they were equally surprised when I told them that I wasn't. I tried speaking to them in broken Hindi and between that and their broken English, we had a great two-minute conversation. The highlight was when they said, "Welcome to Assam."
I've been trying to spend more time with Indians because I feel like most of my social life has revolved around the other American students here. My family is very supportive of my efforts to learn Hindi. So far, the grandmother has been the most helpful. My siblings talk too fast, but she is very understanding and uses simple sentences. I think that we are very entertaining to her. She always giggles when we come into the room.
I got into a really interesting talk about Hinduism with my Mamaji. My family is pretty religious, everyone prays for about an hour or more each day. Mamaji explained how she cannot function if she does not pray each day. For me it is the same with exercising, I wonder if that means that I am my own religion. I hope not. Mamaji suggested that I pray and told me that she would give me an English copy of the Gita. I don't think that I'm going to become Hindu while in India, but after growing up Unitarian Universalist, it is interesting to be in a family where there are set religious codes.
I think that just being in Jaipur is allowing me to absorb India. When I first came here, I could not even register all the street kids begging for money or the dead dogs swelling up on the side of the road. After awhile, I became frustrated with the world for allowing people like me to have the luxury to visit a country where children are employed by the mafia to beg for money. Now, I'm just trying not to put my understanding of the world onto another person's reality. I'm becoming more comfortable with not knowing how these kids feel or how it is to live in a slum, because they is no way that I can know. I want to believe that there is some common humanity in everyone, and I still think there is. But it isn't horrible to just not understand what everyone's life is like.
Philosophy aside, being here is making me more conscious of the world. I don't think that I've changed, but I think that the way that I view things has. I hope that my understanding of development in India will become greater when I enter my internship.
I've finally started to taking classes in my Environment Track. I love my Professor, he is very knowlegdable and encouraging. I think at this point I'm probably going to be with an NGO that works with livestock in Rajasthan. Pastoralism is still very important here, and I would like to observe doctors who work on disease prevention in livestock populations. This means that I'd be living in a small town in the desert. I haven't really decided how I feel about that. I would love to stay in Jaipur, but this city is only one small segment of India. I'll post when I find out where I'm going!
-Erica
This week has been very relaxed, which I love. After travelling through the desert, it's nice to just read at home and spend time with my host family. Last night, Emily and I made pasta for our family. Apparently my host bhai and bahan (brother and sister) don't like Indian food. They like pasta, pizza, french fries and cake. They have no idea what a fantastic cook their mother is. I want to send them to Carleton to eat in the dining hall for a week. They'd probably be ready for daal (lentils) and chapati.
Yesterday, I went to lunch and a craft fair with some people from the program. I ended up buying two shirts and a photo frame from two Assamese women. They were from an NGO that uses traditional handicrafts to bring income into the area where they live. They were Christian, which surprised me, but they were equally surprised when I told them that I wasn't. I tried speaking to them in broken Hindi and between that and their broken English, we had a great two-minute conversation. The highlight was when they said, "Welcome to Assam."
I've been trying to spend more time with Indians because I feel like most of my social life has revolved around the other American students here. My family is very supportive of my efforts to learn Hindi. So far, the grandmother has been the most helpful. My siblings talk too fast, but she is very understanding and uses simple sentences. I think that we are very entertaining to her. She always giggles when we come into the room.
I got into a really interesting talk about Hinduism with my Mamaji. My family is pretty religious, everyone prays for about an hour or more each day. Mamaji explained how she cannot function if she does not pray each day. For me it is the same with exercising, I wonder if that means that I am my own religion. I hope not. Mamaji suggested that I pray and told me that she would give me an English copy of the Gita. I don't think that I'm going to become Hindu while in India, but after growing up Unitarian Universalist, it is interesting to be in a family where there are set religious codes.
I think that just being in Jaipur is allowing me to absorb India. When I first came here, I could not even register all the street kids begging for money or the dead dogs swelling up on the side of the road. After awhile, I became frustrated with the world for allowing people like me to have the luxury to visit a country where children are employed by the mafia to beg for money. Now, I'm just trying not to put my understanding of the world onto another person's reality. I'm becoming more comfortable with not knowing how these kids feel or how it is to live in a slum, because they is no way that I can know. I want to believe that there is some common humanity in everyone, and I still think there is. But it isn't horrible to just not understand what everyone's life is like.
Philosophy aside, being here is making me more conscious of the world. I don't think that I've changed, but I think that the way that I view things has. I hope that my understanding of development in India will become greater when I enter my internship.
I've finally started to taking classes in my Environment Track. I love my Professor, he is very knowlegdable and encouraging. I think at this point I'm probably going to be with an NGO that works with livestock in Rajasthan. Pastoralism is still very important here, and I would like to observe doctors who work on disease prevention in livestock populations. This means that I'd be living in a small town in the desert. I haven't really decided how I feel about that. I would love to stay in Jaipur, but this city is only one small segment of India. I'll post when I find out where I'm going!
-Erica
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Home Again, Home Again
Hey all,
I just got back from a six day excursion that was part academic and part touristy. We spent three days in Shekhawati, which is on the edge of the desert. We learned about Indian theater, art, organic farming, and the Rajputs (ruling/warrior caste.) Then myself and five other people went on into the desert to Bikaner, where we went into a Rat Temple. The temple is for Karni Mata and the rats are the reincarnations of people. I've heard that they're storytellers and I've heard that they're her family members. There were rats everywhere in the temple and a lot of them were drinking milk and eating treats. It is very auspicious for a rat to go over your feet, fortunately I did not have that good luck. We also went into a Fort at Bikaner, which was beautiful and really well preserved.
After Bikaner, we moved on to Jaisalmer (The Golden City.) It's Golden because it's made out of sandstone in some parts, which is usually ornately carved. We stayed in a small Guest House inside the fort. The view from our window was amazing, we could see the carvings of a Jain temple next to us. After we spent the night there, we went on a camel safari in the Thar Desert. Camels smell, but my camel named Kadu, was very sweet. We slept on a sand dune and the moon was almost full, so it was bright all night. It was so quiet and peaceful, I was really glad that I got to experience that aspect of Rajasthan.
When we got back from our safari we wandered around Jaisalmer and then moved onto Jodhpur (The Blue City.) We had trouble finding the blue though. We shopped in the market and tried to see a fort, but the road was closed. We then went home and Emily and I got home in time to enjoy our Mamaji's cooking. She made rice pudding, which was the only rice pudding that I think I've ever enjoyed. I had a coconut lassi in Jodhpur earlier that day, so I had a little bit of a sugar overdose.
I'm feeling much more positive about India right now. Getting out of Jaipur allowed me to really appreciate where I am. I like Jaipur a lot, but it's just hard to not take the stares, the crowds, and the pollution seriously. It's also hard to separate when I need a break from when I'm just being a baby. Hindi is still hard, but I'm hoping to get it together when I get into my internship. I'd love to work with animals, but animal welfare seems to be mostly a Western-organized affair. Most places were founded by Americans or Europeans. I want to use my Hindi as much as possible, but I think that ultimately it's best for me to do the right internship than to acquire the best language skills.
I realized that there are a lot of day-to-day things that I don't explain here. So I'll sum a couple things up:
Bucket Baths: Rajasthan is either arid or semiarid, it has huge water problems. So taking a shower is not okay or practical most of the time. Instead we fill a bucket with water and use a smaller bucket to pour water on ourselves. I really don't mind it. It's so hot here that I don't need a hot shower.
Dining: People usually eat with their hands. I've learned the art of using the tortilla-like chapati to eat just about everything.
Head wobble: I'm starting to move my head back and forth when I talk. People say a lot more with their head than with their mouth sometimes. The auto rickshaw driver who takes Emily and I to school (Gudo) has never said a word to us. But we understand to get in or out of the rickshaw because of his head wobble.
Traffic: I will never be afraid to drive in NJ again after India. The lines in the middle of the street are really just for decoration. People are always going in and out of lanes. Also, people don't signal. Instead they just honk to say "I'm coming, get out of the way." Crossing the street is fun.
I think that's all for now. I'll write again soon.
Love,
Erica
I just got back from a six day excursion that was part academic and part touristy. We spent three days in Shekhawati, which is on the edge of the desert. We learned about Indian theater, art, organic farming, and the Rajputs (ruling/warrior caste.) Then myself and five other people went on into the desert to Bikaner, where we went into a Rat Temple. The temple is for Karni Mata and the rats are the reincarnations of people. I've heard that they're storytellers and I've heard that they're her family members. There were rats everywhere in the temple and a lot of them were drinking milk and eating treats. It is very auspicious for a rat to go over your feet, fortunately I did not have that good luck. We also went into a Fort at Bikaner, which was beautiful and really well preserved.
After Bikaner, we moved on to Jaisalmer (The Golden City.) It's Golden because it's made out of sandstone in some parts, which is usually ornately carved. We stayed in a small Guest House inside the fort. The view from our window was amazing, we could see the carvings of a Jain temple next to us. After we spent the night there, we went on a camel safari in the Thar Desert. Camels smell, but my camel named Kadu, was very sweet. We slept on a sand dune and the moon was almost full, so it was bright all night. It was so quiet and peaceful, I was really glad that I got to experience that aspect of Rajasthan.
When we got back from our safari we wandered around Jaisalmer and then moved onto Jodhpur (The Blue City.) We had trouble finding the blue though. We shopped in the market and tried to see a fort, but the road was closed. We then went home and Emily and I got home in time to enjoy our Mamaji's cooking. She made rice pudding, which was the only rice pudding that I think I've ever enjoyed. I had a coconut lassi in Jodhpur earlier that day, so I had a little bit of a sugar overdose.
I'm feeling much more positive about India right now. Getting out of Jaipur allowed me to really appreciate where I am. I like Jaipur a lot, but it's just hard to not take the stares, the crowds, and the pollution seriously. It's also hard to separate when I need a break from when I'm just being a baby. Hindi is still hard, but I'm hoping to get it together when I get into my internship. I'd love to work with animals, but animal welfare seems to be mostly a Western-organized affair. Most places were founded by Americans or Europeans. I want to use my Hindi as much as possible, but I think that ultimately it's best for me to do the right internship than to acquire the best language skills.
I realized that there are a lot of day-to-day things that I don't explain here. So I'll sum a couple things up:
Bucket Baths: Rajasthan is either arid or semiarid, it has huge water problems. So taking a shower is not okay or practical most of the time. Instead we fill a bucket with water and use a smaller bucket to pour water on ourselves. I really don't mind it. It's so hot here that I don't need a hot shower.
Dining: People usually eat with their hands. I've learned the art of using the tortilla-like chapati to eat just about everything.
Head wobble: I'm starting to move my head back and forth when I talk. People say a lot more with their head than with their mouth sometimes. The auto rickshaw driver who takes Emily and I to school (Gudo) has never said a word to us. But we understand to get in or out of the rickshaw because of his head wobble.
Traffic: I will never be afraid to drive in NJ again after India. The lines in the middle of the street are really just for decoration. People are always going in and out of lanes. Also, people don't signal. Instead they just honk to say "I'm coming, get out of the way." Crossing the street is fun.
I think that's all for now. I'll write again soon.
Love,
Erica
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